Improved mode of making buildings water-proof



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFI E,

. JOHN W. KlNGMAN, OF NORTH BRIDGEWATER, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVED MODE OF MAKING BUILDINGS WATE'R-PRO OF.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 35,526, dated June 10, 1862.

To all whom it may concern: a

Be it known that I, JOHN W. KINGMAN, of NorthBridgewater,-in the county of Plymouth and State-of Massachusetts, have. invented a certain new and useful Mode of Rendering Buildings, se water-Proof; and I do hereby declare that the following description is a full applicable towaterpfoofing almost every article-exposed to the attacks of water and moisture, inclndingvessels, boats, receptaclesfor liquids,.&c.. a

- No material or composition of materials has jh'eretoforebeen u'sedfor roofing which could "beapplied equally well to all localities and to various inequalities of surface. The tin, zinc or other metallic roofin gs are extremely expensive and require frequent repairs on account of the giving way of their joints, and are not flexible enough to be readily adapted to sharp irregularities of outline. Thick fibrous substances and cloths saturated with water-proof materials have also been used, but they are so stifi' and inflexible that they can not be closely fitted to the surfaces to be covered, and consequently water will soon work its way under .them and between them and the surface they are designed to protect. This latter kind of roofing has necessarily been fastened down by nailing.

In experimenting with a view to practically developing the present invention it became evident that a water-proof covering should possessthefollowin gessen tials: First, itshould be so closely fitted and firmly fastened to the surface to be protected as to be practically a. part of such surface itself -in order that no moisture could possibly get underit secondly, it should be sufiiciently flexible to be easily adapted to'every variety of surface and thirdly, it should be rendered water-proof and of a moderate cost. In attempting to carry out the first requisite it was clear that any mode of ias'teni'ngsuch as n ailing-that did not cntirelyiexclude and exhaust the air between the material to be applied and the surface to be covered would prove inoperati\-'e,,as the presence of air or f air-bubbles under the thick fibrous sheets that have sometimes been used has invariably caused them to peel off. For

the second essential I determined that a thin sheet of fibrous material-like cotton-cloth, forinstance-would answer the necessary requirements. Even if a-thick sheet of fibrous substance, like felt, could be employed, its provious'saturation by water-proof materials would render it too stifi' to fit close enough to the surface to be covered, and therefore I determined that the fibrous sheet must be first accurate] y and closely fitted to its surface before-it was saturated by the water-proofsubstance or sub stances to be used. It then only remained to render it water-proof and cheap, which could be readily done if the first two requirements were obtained.

' To accomplish, then, the objects of my invention' I have adopted the ibllowing'niethod,

which combines all the requirements hereinabove stated, as essential, and which has stood the test of repeated trials. I first take thin sheets of porous fibrous materials-like coarse cotton cloth, for example-ind coverone side of it with any adhesive material, like common flourpa'ste,'but the paste must be of such a nature as to allow-the water-proof material to 'be afterward applied, as will be explained in.

thesequel, to pass through it. Thus anyan'tiabsorbent cement, like glue, varnish, &c.,jcan

not be successfully used, as such arepartially impervious to such water-proof liquids as must be employed. The cloth thus coated is then applied to the surface to be covered and thoroughly rubbed upon the same until all the air underitis entirely exhausted. The paste then holds the cloth firmly and evenly upon every portion of the material it is applied to, however irregular its surface may be. This result, it is evident, could not be accomplished by the ordinary method of'nailing or by the use of thick and comparatively inflexible fibrous substances or byvthe use of metal plates, as it is absolutely essential in order to successfully practice my invention that there should be no air-space between the sheets and the surface they cover. The fibreusf'sheets thus securely fastened are then-saturated with an'y suitable water-proof liquids-such as oil-' paints, &c.;' and such liquids, when applied, penetrate entirely through the cloth and also through theeoatinglof paste, because the cloth" is porous and the paste is of such a nature as to allow the liquids to pass through it. The

resul.tis that the paint or'other' similar liquidapp'lied acts not only as wate -proof material whichfills the pores of the cloth, but also asa .strong'binding-cement that firmly glues the cloth to the surface that it covers. Any desired number of coats of paint may be ap-. plied; but enough should be used to entirely I fill the pores of the fibrous sheet; and any de-.

sired number of sheets can besuccessfully applied andsaturated in aprecisely similar Bythis method I have found that the fibrous" sheets being first so closely fitted to the parts they cover, and, moreover, by a paste that is easily penetrated by water-proof liquids, be-

come, when such liquids have passed through them, entirely incorporated with thesurface' can be easily fastened by my method to any .kind of material,like 'wood, metal, slate, stone,

brick, glass, &c. 4

It is evident from the above description that one or .more coats of the paste may be a'pplied to the cotton cloth or other fabric used, and that one or more coats of the same may he also, applied to-the surface to he covered previous to the application of the water-proof liquid.

Having thus described my'improvements, what I claim as my invention, and desire to have secured to me by Letters Patent, is-

The new mode of rendering surfaces, &c.,

water-proof, the same consisting inapplying by rubbing to such surfaces thin sheets of fibrous materials first. coated with such a paste or cement as will permit water-proof liquids to pass through them and then saturating them with such water-proof liquids as will pass throughboth thecloth and the paste, substantially as described. I

JOHN W. KINGMAN.

Witnesses: I J osErH G'AVErT, ALBERT W. BROWN. 

